EDWARDSVILLE – Freshman Jose Tabora (Richland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) accounted for three of Wilkes' four touchdowns throwing for two scores while running for one as the Colonels snapped a four-game losing skid posting a 28-26 victory over visiting Lycoming College Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
Wilkes improved to 2-6 overall and 2-5 in MAC games following the home win, its second at Schmidt Stadium this season. Lycoming drops to 3-5 overall and 2-5 in league games after the road defeat.
 
Wilkes opened the game with one of its best drives of the season using the ground game to punish the Lycoming defense. Tabora called his own number throughout the drive accounting for 45 yards on designed quarterback runs. He also completed both of his passes to Garret Armstrong for 19 more yards to move the Colonels to the Lycoming four yard line. From there, Tabora went in from four yards out on a quarterback run to put Wilkes up 7-0 following a Mike Hauck (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon) extra point.
 
Lycoming answered with a touchdown on its first possession of the contest, using a nine-play, 66-yard drive capped off by a Blake Bowman rushing touchdown from one yard out. The extra point attempt was blocked keeping Wilkes ahead 7-6 with 4:41 left in the first quarter.
 
After Lycoming forced a Wilkes punt, the Warriors offense used another nine-play drive to move deep into Colonel territory. The drive stalled at the nine yard line and Lycoming settled for a Devon Flynn 26-yard field goal to take its first lead at 9-7 with 14:42 left in the second quarter.
 
The Wilkes kickoff return team came up big on the ensuing kickoff when Marcellus Hayes (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill) took the kickoff 80 yards down to the Lycoming eight yard line. One play later, Jeff Steeber (Berwick, PA/Berwick) took a sweeping rush around the end for the score giving the Colonels the lead back 14-9 after the extra point.
 
The Wilkes lead grew to 21-9, its largest of the game, when Tabora found William Deemer (Washington Township, NJ/Warren Hills) on a four yard hook pattern in the end zone. The pitch and catch capped off a nine-play, 67-yard drive that used only 3:14 on the second quarter clock.
 
Lycoming kept things close using another Bowman touchdown from two yards out capping off a 10-play, 63-yard drive that was comprised mostly of Warrior rushing plays. Wilkes still led 21-16 with 6:20 left in the first half.
 
Tabora came through again through the air on the Colonels final drive of the first half. He found Aaron Coyne (Springfield, PA/Springfield) on a fade route down the right side of the field for a 25-yard score that was setup by Jacob Brook (Layton, NJ/Kittatinny)'s big 44-yard gain on the ground three plays earlier. Wilkes went to the locker room up 28-16 at the break following the Colonels fourth score of the game.
 
Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter with the Wilkes defense coming up big on two promising Lycoming drives. The Colonels forced a fumble on a fourth and one at its own 45 to stop the first Lycoming drive of the third quarter and give the ball back to the offense. Joseph Gagliotti accounted for the forced fumble while also recovering the ball to stop the drive. Two possessions later Lycoming moved down to the Wilkes five yard line before the Wilkes defense forced its second fumble of the quarter stopping the drive. Bud Moyer (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua) forced the ball out of the Warrior running back's hands while Marcellus Hayes (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill) jumped on the ball for the recovery.
 
Lycoming made one more push midway through the fourth quarter when quarterback Chase Whiteman ran in on a scramble from 19 yards out to pull the Warriors to within five trailing 28-23 with 9:40 left in the game.
 
Lycoming forced a punt on the ensuing Wilkes possession to give the Warriors one last shot at a comeback. The drive moved into Wilkes territory before a Lycoming holding penalty and Jordan Stiles (Camp Hill, PA/Cedar Cliff) sack forced the Warriors to settle for a 41-yard field goal. Wilkes still led 28-26 with just over four minutes remaining.
 
From there, Wilkes went to the ground to ice the game as Brook used carries of ten, eight and nine before a seven yard run sealed the win with Lycoming using its last timeout trying to stop the clock.
 
Tabora, in his first career start, finished 9-for-17 for 120 yards and two scores. The rookie also ran for 81 yards and one more touchdown. Brook posted his first 100-yard game of the season finishing with a career-high 120 yards on 15 attempts, over 8.0 yards per-carry.
 
Eight different Colonel receivers caught passes in a balanced aerial attack.
 
Stengel led the Wilkes defense with a career-high 20 tackles, including 1.5 sacks.  
 
Wilkes makes its last road trip of the season next Saturday traveling to unbeaten and first place Stevenson University (8-0, 7-0 MAC). Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Ownings Mills, Maryland.